Sealed Pot Challenge ~ 19

ThriftyPrincess40

£1.90 to Sealed pot 🥳

MrsShazbat

£14.41 saved in the purse clear-out this week, Plum payment delayed due to bank account running on vapour. BUT it's pay day today so normal service resumes next week.  REALLY going to try and sit on my money for the next couple of months (famous last words), just a couple of birthdays and so far I'm only scheduled to be 'out out' tomorrow for pancakes with my Rhys Darby fan-crew

On the dog front, we are investigating becoming puppy fosterers for Guide Dogs UK, who helpfully have a local centre a couple of miles away from us.  Not puppy raisers, but the next step up - the pups who are now in training, so you drop them off/pick them up daily (the "school run") and they live with you for evenings and weekends.  Application is in, just need to provide some follow-up information and they get a couple of references and we'll see how it goes.

Tattypud

Evening everyone.

Fingers crossed for you @MrsShazbat, hope your application to be a fosterer is successful. 

We are in the process of decluttering and 'found' a $20 Canadian dollar note the other day. We are never going to use it and it's probably been in the drawer for 10+ years so cashed it in at Tesco today while doing the weekly shop and as a result £9.35 has been added to the pot. 

mummytummy

@AntoMac  I read your post to the end 😂

My potting is slow and steady, I’m not keeping count as I like the “surprise” at the end. I’m currently looking for a cash isa but I worked out the other day that over the past few years my premium bonds have done better than a cash isa would have done interest wise, I must be one of the lucky ones - I’ve probably jinxed myself now 😂😂

Dizzycap

Frogletina said:

Trying to catch up on my records from last year I couldn't see how much interest I made on one of my savings accounts. 

I decided to see if a record of it was still on the app on my phone and to my surprise not only was the interest showing but the savings too earning very little interest now.

Not only did I have about £35 interest from the last two tax years but also I had £1000 in savings which I normally would have taken out. 

Sue-UU, can I count this £1000 as part of my sealed pot money? 

I also contacted HMRC to see what records they had of my interest sent to them in the tax year 2024/25 as they have amended my tax code as some of it is taxable. They reduced my work pension by nearly £100 this month and will be more the next two months then less until it is paid by the end of the tax year 2026/27.

I'm already losing some of my state pension to tax which is taken via my work pension. I think it is crazy that the tax allowance has been frozen for so long that those on the basic pension alone will end up paying tax soon. 

In April I'll contact them about the interest in 2025/26, which should be a lot less. I will also be putting my income into a flexible ISA and withdrawing as and when I need it. I certainly won't exceed the £20,000 limit.

@ Frogletina- Congratulations with finding your £1000 plus interest - whoop whoop! 

HMRC also did this to me last year with my private pension and then contacted me through the app in January this year to say I'd over paid on tax and they sent the whole lot back to me! Have you ever? I knew I was overpaying on tax but HMRC changed my tax code twice in 2025 and said I wasn't      Now my original tax code has been restored with no tax being deducted - CRAZY! Max out your Flexi Cash ISA as much as you can, that's where my tax refund went along with other cash knowing I can draw down what, when, & if I need without issues with it being taxable income!

Not much to report with the sealed pot challenge this week as I haven't been out much, aside from appointments and haven't found any road kill or had the time to have a good rumage through the house to find any wild pounds or pennies floating about   

AntoMac

mummytummy said:

@AntoMac  I read your post to the end 😂

My potting is slow and steady, I’m not keeping count as I like the “surprise” at the end. I’m currently looking for a cash isa but I worked out the other day that over the past few years my premium bonds have done better than a cash isa would have done interest wise, I must be one of the lucky ones - I’ve probably jinxed myself now 😂😂

My own Premium Bonds have generally been woeful @mummytummy
Out of the blue I had a £500 prize at the beginning f December though.
It’s that outside chance of a massive win that keeps me sticking with them.

siju

M premium bonds did well in the first year with good wins most months but sadly wins have reduced in the last year 😢 seriously contemplating taking the money and putting it in an ISA in April for a guaranteed return but then again, there's always that chance of a special win!!!!

VickyA_2

Good afternoon everyone,

@AntoMac, I'm another one who read to the end! 

Another £1.64 swept from my account into my pot, then £5 paid in because I resisted getting a takeaway coffee.  I know they're generally cheaper than that (thank goodness!), but in the interest of keeping my account nice and rounded, I made it a fiver.  Payday is this coming Friday, so I'm hoping for a top up when that comes around!

AntoMac

Well I never. ANOTHER roadkill find tonight. A very wet 5p on my evening walk. Did a decent number of steps today so that must have increased the chances of striking silver! 

LittleMissDetermined

Haha you and your roadkill Ant, I think because I live in Yorkshire and everyone is tight-fisted it reduces the chances of me finding any  

I've added a £1 to my pot today
LMD x